The two Jade Rulers fell to the ground, dim and lifeless, clearly heavily damaged. Du You’s slightly youthful face twisted just a bit in anger. He reached into his sleeve and touched the pitch-black inkstone hidden within, thinking to himself, "Today, even if I risk my mother’s wrath, I must kill Zhang Yan here and now!"
"You’er, cease your actions immediately!" Just as Du You was about to act recklessly, a loud and commanding voice rang out. A middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious blue robe and wearing a Primordial Crown entered the hall. He was standing outside the temple moments ago, but in just one step, with a blur before everyone’s eyes, he was suddenly at Du You’s side. He grabbed Du You’s wrist, halting his next move.
"A step within inches, spanning heavens and earth—this man is clearly an expert in the Third Realm of the Xuan Guang Stage. This level of mastery allows him to harness Xuan Guang, shrinking vast distances into mere strides," Lin Yuan, who understood the brilliance of this technique, instantly deduced the man’s extraordinary prowess.
After Opening Meridians, cultivators advance across nine realms of Dao, namely: Ming Qi, Xuan Guang, Hua Dan, Nascent Soul, Phenomenon, Mortal Transformation, True Yang, Refining God, and Supreme.
Each realm, in turn, is divided into three distinct stages.
The Supreme level represents the pinnacle of human cultivation. It is said that advancing even further would lead one into the realm of myth—breaking through the Void and soaring across the universe as a godly being.
Seeing the man, Du You exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle Bo?"
The middle-aged man disregarded Du You and instead turned to Zhang Yan with a polite and gentle demeanor, saying, "Zhang Yan, today’s matter has nothing to do with you. The fault does not lie with you. You may withdraw."
Du You opened his mouth as if to protest but was silenced by a sharp, stern look from the man. Forced to restrain himself, Du You could only glare at Zhang Yan with eyes full of murderous intent.
Zhang Yan’s expression grew grave. The oppressive aura emanating from the middle-aged man was overwhelming—comparable to Ning Chongxuan’s—but it carried a distinctly different quality. Ning Chongxuan’s presence projected an intense yet calm and unassuming power that did not target others, whereas the middle-aged man exuded an overwhelming and tempestuous force, like tidal waves crashing against the shore. It came at Zhang Yan in ceaseless waves, drowning everything in his perception. The entire hall seemed to tremble in his eyes, swept up in a furious storm, leaving him like a solitary figure on a fragile boat braving the heavens’ wrath alone.
Had Zhang Yan not held steadfast in his resolve, he would have struggled simply to stand.
Taking a deep breath to steady his spirit, he forced himself into composure, bowed respectfully, and said, "Very well, I take my leave."
The middle-aged man looked at him in slight astonishment, apparently surprised that Zhang Yan was still able to speak under such pressures.
Zhang Yan turned and began to walk towards the hall’s exit, his steps deliberate and slow, as though carrying a thousand-pound burden on his back. A faint sheen of sweat could even be seen forming at his temple. The middle-aged man watched intently with a deep and serious gaze as Zhang Yan made his way out of the hall.
Upon crossing the threshold, a faint trace of blood trickled from the corner of Zhang Yan’s mouth. He wiped it away with his hand and thought, "This time, I overestimated myself. I didn’t anticipate Du You would have such a formidable master by his side."
Yet the path of cultivation often demands confronting adversity head-on. If one retreats at every sign of danger along the way, it would serve as a precedent for evading challenges in the future. While a couple of instances might seem inconsequential, the accumulation of such hesitation would inevitably lead to a weakening and withdrawal of one’s Dao Heart, eroding its resilience.
Indeed, only through unwavering efforts to improve one’s cultivation level lies the true foundation for enduring success!
Resolving himself silently within, Zhang Yan thought: Today, I am no match for this man, but that doesn’t mean the same will hold true in the future. Using this man and Ning Chongxuan as targets, I must constantly keep today’s humiliation in mind as a driving force. Someday, I will personally seek justice for this affront!
Inside the great hall, Du You, having failed to deal with Zhang Yan, was left without face to show off in front of the entry-level disciples. He hurriedly made some dismissive remarks before sending them away.
Returning to the Senior Disciple quarters in the rear of the temple, Du You began to complain to the middle-aged man, "Uncle Bo? Why did you stop me today?"
"Uncle Bo," whose real name was Du Bo, was a personal guard dispatched secretly by Du You’s mysterious father to protect him. This man had assumed a false name and identity, pretending to be a member of the Du Family for the sake of discretion.
Du Bo shook his head and said gravely, "If I’m not mistaken, Zhang Yan just used the ’Ruyi Divine Shuttle’."
"Ruyi Divine Shuttle?" Du You froze, stunned. He seemed to have heard of the name before but couldn’t quite recall it in that moment.
Du Bo reminded him, "You might have forgotten about the Ruyi Divine Shuttle, but surely you’ve heard of the Twelve Heavenly Shuttle?"